You’ll ;nd a variety of video game console
bundles, along with games, at your local
Costco and online at Costco.com.

Here: In;nite
Warfare takes Call
of Duty into space.
Below: Minecraft is
all about building.
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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS

Click here for a look at Call of Duty: In;nite Warfare. (See page 10 for details.)

future—20-foot metal-mechanical marvels
that move like men, only they are armed and
armored like battleships. They are fast and
powerful, but far from indestructible, especially when battling other formidable titans.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Like the

Battlefield series, Call of Duty started with
World War II simulations, but while the

Battlefield games have gone back in time,
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare has moved
from the past to the present to the future in
outer space. Whether you like COD games
for their multiplayer arenas, their single-player storylines or their zombie-filled
extras, Infinite Warfare promises to give you
infinite action. (Arrives 11/4)

It’s important to note that once again
Costco will package Call of Duty dog tags
with this latest game. Sales of those dog tags
go to the Call of Duty Endowment, which
supports several organizations that help veterans get jobs. C

Steven L. Kent, a novelist and author of The
Ultimate History of
Video Games, lives in
the Seattle area.

BY STEVEN L. KENT

THERE’S GREAT news for video game players this holiday season: This is an especially
golden year. Microsoft and Sony are releasing
Xbox One S and PlayStation 4 Pro: newly
updated 4K-compatible versions of their
already proven consoles. These boxes are
smarter and sleeker, and their output is ever-so-high definition.

Want to know the best value in gaming?
Think bundles. Here’s a look.

Microsoft has two Xbox One S bundles.
The Minecraft Xbox One S bundle is more of
an entry-level deal. It comes with a 500-giga-
byte hard drive and Minecraft, an exceptionally family-friendly, first-person-perspective
game and architectural tool in which players
mine stone and other minerals that they use
to build palaces, railway systems and even
machinery. Past generations dreamed of
LEGO cities that came alive; with Minecraft,
you can construct cities that come to life on
your TV screen.

Microsoft’s second Xbox One S bundlecomes with Battlefield 1 and a 1-terabytehard drive. Also, note that Xbox One S sup-ports 4K streaming and plays 4K Blu-rayDVDs for an awesome viewing experienceSony, meanwhile, has given an upgrade toits popular PlayStation 4 and is bundling itwith Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. For playersunfamiliar with these games: If Indiana Jonesand Lara Croft ever had a son, he’d be NathanDrake, the fortune-hunting-hero of theUncharted series. Sony is sweetening the dealwith a second controller.

Now, about those games. This holiday
season, the biggest games have more to do
with missiles than with mistletoe.

Three particularly hot games are of the
M-rated variety, meaning they are suitable for
players ages 17 and up. At Costco, they’re
available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and
they all offer long-lasting multiplayer value.
Be warned: These violent games will get your
heart pounding and your grandparents to
leave the room.

Battlefield 1. Electronic Arts has chosen
to take its Battlefield series back in time to
World War I. Fly biplanes, clear enemies out
of trenches with shovels and clubs, or flush
them out with mustard gas, in massive
64-player battles. Whether you want to ride a
war horse or dogfight the Red Baron,
Battlefield 1 lets you explore the “war to end
all wars.”